Lafayette considering common grading system for high schools

LAFAYETTE, La. (AP) _ Lafayette Parish School System educators are working out a common grading system for high schools as part of a review of the parish’s pupil progression plan.

The Advocate reports (http://bit.ly/1LVPsdP) the school system’s new chief academic officer, Annette Samec, informed school board members of the potential common grading system during Wednesday’s board meeting.

Samec said principals voiced concerns about grading during discussions about how to meet expectations set by Superintendent Donald Aguillard. Aguillard was selected by the board as the parish’s new superintendent in mid-May.

Aguillard has set goals for school principals that include spending more time in classrooms and improving their individual school performance scores by three points.

“We, as a committee, have been reviewing policies and procedures and practices that will be best aligned to move our parish forward to become an A district,” Samec said.

Samec explained that students at different schools could be assigned the same projects or tests, but their grades could be weighed differently, depending upon the teacher.

“A student could earn an 82 to an 89 for doing the same work on assignments and tests,” she said.

Final recommendations on a grading system will be part of the pupil progression plan, which is reviewed annually.

Aguillard said he plans to present a final plan to the board during a special board meeting on July 29, so the plan could be adopted by the board prior to the start of school.